Life is Strange: During the Holidays
by nomadff16
Summary: A simple two-shot following Max, Chloe, and Nick celebrating Christmas. Despite their lack of money, they still tried to make Christmas work... even when crime fighting got in the way. Merry Christmas, strangers!
1. chapter 1

**T'was the night before christmas...**

 **When all through the house...**

 **Not a creature was stirring...**

 **but a writer on coffee and eggnog.**

 **I own nothing, I just write for my own joy and the pleasure of others. Happy Holidays from the Nomad!**

California was very strange to me during that time of year. Rarely did snow fall in the City of Angels, though the snow capped mountains spoke otherwise. Two months had passed since Arcadia Bay was destroyed, and since then we had made it to Los Angeles, gotten jobs and lived in a small apartment. Chloe and I managed to snag jobs with a decent pay, though Max couldn't say the same. I had a job as a paid intern for journalism, being shown the ropes of drinking coffee, and chasing stories. Chloe had a job as a waitress at the local diner, not far from my internship. She had enough experience from her mother to know how everything worked. Max was working as a photographer, putting the images on the internet and hoping to be noticed. She had also gotten a part time job as a cashier in a local market.

I sighed as I stepped out onto the sidewalk, the air slightly cooler than usual. Though we didn't have enough money for a tree, real or fake, we still decided to celebrate Christmas as if we did. What little money we had after paying rent went to savings for presents. Obviously we couldn't afford anything major, so we agreed to buy items for each other that cost no more than twenty dollars.

As I was walking to Chloe's diner, I remembered a promise I made a while back. I entered some small shops in a nearby outlet, searching for one thing in particular. I purchased it, requesting it be wrapped, and hid it in my pocket. I moved back out to the sidewalk, continuing on my set path towards the smell of food. I opened the door and waved to the cashier and chef with a smile, exchanging greetings and happy holiday wishes. Being a regular and a waitress' boyfriend had it's perks, as they gave us small deals like drinks on the house or meals half off when we were having financial trouble. Chloe seemed distracted as she came over to my table, not realizing it was me.

"Would you like to order a drink while you look over the menu?" She sighed.

"I'll have a coffee with some holiday spirit mixed in. And what would you like to drink, Chloe?" I asked calmly. She looked up at her name, and I watched her face brighten with a smile.

"I guess I'll have the same." She said, going to get the coffee pot and a couple mugs. She sat across from me and poured our drinks, quickly followed by our preferred amounts of sugar and creamer.

"Rough day at work?" I asked as I sipped my coffee.

"Not one of the best. Couple of assholes asked when I got off work earlier. Said they could show me a good time. I obviously declined, but they wouldn't take no for an answer." She grumbled.

"I'm guessing they told you they'd meet you after your shift?" I asked.

"Duh. Don't worry, though. I can handle myself." She reassured. I placed my hand over hers, trying to give some small amount of comfort.

"I'll wait here, and we can deal with them together. I know you can handle yourself, but I don't want you to." I finalized.

"You're seriously gonna wait here for two hours just so you can beat up a couple of pervs?" She asked.

"If that's what it takes to help." I sat back and looked at the menu.

"Do you think I could get some dinner?" I asked. She rolled her eyes and stood.

"Like what?" She took out her note pad.

"A couple of chocolate chip pancakes, with a side of eggs and bacon."

"I'm on it." She gave a wink before returning to her job. Two hours crept by, my eyes beginning to droop as the setting sun passed the horizon. A knock on the table jolted me awake, reminding me what I was waiting for. I rubbed my eyes and stood, putting a confident smile on my face.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked.

"Let's just get this over with and get home." She sighed, sliding her jacket on.

"Right." I held the door open while she shut off the lights, locking the door after we were out.

"Hey, babe!" Someone called from across the street. I felt Chloe tense under my arm when she heard him.

"There's one." She whispered.

"Where's the other?" I replied, scanning the area with my eyes. The asshole made his way over to us, clearly not expecting to see me.

"Step off, kid. She's taken." He chuckled, trying to shove me aside.

"Yeah, by me for the past two months." I countered, stepping in front of her.

"Liar, I've been seeing her for a while longer than that." He bluffed.

"Considering we only moved here a couple months ago, I'd say bullshit. Back off before you get hurt." I warned.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Not at all. It's a promise." I clenched my fists, waiting for him to make the first move. He threw a punch towards my jaw, which I easily stopped with my hand. I chuckled before making a discreet kick to his crotch, throwing his hand to the side. I felt the urge to duck suddenly, and was glad I did when a bottle flew over my head.

"There's the other one." I mumbled. Chloe made her way towards the newcomer, leaving me to deal with the main asshole. I ducked another punch, followed by one of my own. He didn't realize I was hitting all of my marks until I stepped back, snapping my fingers. He grunted before being knocked unconscious, falling to the pavement. I ran over to Chloe and drop kicked the second guy, though he didn't feel it. Chloe pushed him back into the alley beside the diner, lining up my shot. I snapped my fingers and the man suddenly flew into the bricks, a crack sounding as he hit.

"Merry Christmas, you filthy animals." I said, making Chloe chuckle.

"Good reference. Let's get out of here, Max'll get worried." We exited the alley and headed for our apartment building. Max would be getting off work soon, and we couldn't leave her alone for too long. Arcadia Bay left a giant wound in her heart that couldn't be healed. People she cared about died, and her parents had no idea where she was. It was the first time that Christmas wasn't spent with our families, only each other. Max was pacing in the living room when we came in, quickly sighing and rushing over to us.

"Where have you been?" She asked, hugging both of us.

"We had to deal with a couple of pervs on the way home. Nothing we couldn't handle."

"What if it was? You guys don't have a way to fix mistakes like I do."

"They were a couple of bitches anyway, more bark than bite." Chloe affirmed. Chloe opened the fridge and took out a couple of beers and a soda, handing the nonalcoholic beverage to Max. We sat on the couch in silence, mulling over our own thoughts.

"We should probably go to bed soon. Santa might skip over us if we don't." I said seriously, taking a sip.

"True, I'll get the milk and cookies." Chloe played along, going to the fridge and the cupboard. She left the food on the counter, sitting back down and finishing her bottle. "I think I'll turn in. Going to join me, Nick?" She asked.

"Only if you want me to." I answered. She took my hand and lead me back to her room. I placed her present on the counter as we went, careful to make sure she didn't notice. She shut the door behind us and started towards me.

"So, I've been thinking about what to give you for Christmas. I know Max got you something for vigilanteing, but I wanted to give you something important, that can't be replaced or taken back." She wrapped her arms around my neck.

"And what would that be?" I asked innocently. She leaned in and whispered one word that meant more than any object.

"Me."


	2. chapter 2

**To those who wanted me to write what happened over night: Shame on you. they might be eighteen but that's just wrong.**

I groaned as I sat up in bed. The early morning light pouring through the window and into my face. I rubbed my eyes, pausing when the bed shifted to my left. My memory of the night before came back, along with the realization that it was Christmas morning. I stood from the bed and stretched, quickly noticing my lack of clothing. I quietly snuck into my room and dressed in pajamas, wrapping my bathrobe around myself and heading into the kitchen area. I desperately needed coffee after such a night of little sleep. Max was the next to wake, scratching her bedhead as she stumbled out. She poured herself some coffee and sat on the couch with a yawn. Chloe came soon after, the smell of coffee rousing her enough to get out of bed.

"Morning, ladies." I mumbled.

"Merry Christmas." Max replied.

"And a happy fucking New Year. I need coffee." Chloe commented, going to the pot. After filling her cup she plopped down in the seat beside me, a thousand yard stare visible on her face.

"You okay?" I asked with a nudge to her shoulder.

"Yeah, just... still in awe of last night." She sighed.

"That's fair, it was your first time. You're allowed to feel uncomfortable." I chuckled.

"Oh God! Third wheel sitting right over here, keep that stuff to yourself." Max exclaimed, making us laugh. I kissed Chloe in the cheek and went to the small stack of presents, lifting them with one hand and bringing them over to the counter.

"I know you two are waiting for these, so let's get to it." I chuckled, placing the items before their recipients. Max opened hers first, finding new film and a tinted lens. Chloe was next, giving a satisfied grin to the black zippo lighter with a red anarchy symbol in her hand, and a fond smile to the framed photo of her family. I opened my single present last. Chloe had given me something beyond a material object, and I couldn't be more grateful. What my eyes beheld was a couple of stacked, small black boxes. I picked one up and found a weight to it, as if metal sat inside. The top of the box slid off, revealing a metal finger gauntlet. The design was that of fire, with a blade protruding from the proximal phalanx that extended to the middle of the distal phalanx. I opened the other to find an identical one for the other hand.

"Thank you, Max. I could definitely use these while beating up baddies." I thanked.

"Those should be razor sharp, have fun maiming people." We went and sat on the couch, putting on a Christmas movie from our childhood. We barely got five minutes in when police sirens sounded from the street below. I sighed and paused the movie, getting up and strapping the gauntlets to my fingers.

"One day, that's all I ask. It's Christmas for Christ's sake... literally." I muttered to myself, tying a bandana around my face and pulling up my hood.

"You want me to go with you?" Max offered.

"Nah, shouldn't take long." I answered, going to the fire escape and calmly going down to the alley. I followed the sirens to a foreclosed building, a couple blocks over. The cops standing outside were chattering about some pedophile dressed as Santa Claus holed up inside with a kid. I made a wide circle and snuck through a back alley, trying the back door. I was relieved when it clicked, swinging open. It was a Christmas miracle, if I'd ever seen one. I crept through the building, listening closely for any movement. The kid was crying in one of the rooms above me, meaning Santa was already having at it or he was elsewhere. I made my way to the stairs, careful to avoid weak boards. I heard the jolly old man growl quietly, most likely to the child.

"I know what I want for Christmas." He let out a wheezy, disgusting cough of a laugh. He was indeed an elderly, obese man dressed like Saint Nicholas, though the pistol in his pants was abnormal. I put my finger to my lips when the small boy noticed me, sneaking up until I was directly behind the man. I used my new gauntlets well, slashing at both of his Achilles tendons. I then gave a punch to the back of the head for good measure. The kid gave me a confused look, which then grabbed the attention of the scum.

"You know, I don't think you're gonna get a white Christmas. You've been naughty." The man panicked and went for the gun in his pocket, though I stopped him with a snap of my fingers. As soon as the scream of pain left his lips the door downstairs burst open, the police deciding to breach. I ran towards a window and dove out, catching myself by slamming my hands into the pavement. I didn't notice the pedestrians on the sidewalk beside me, who were stunned into silence. I got to my feet and went into an alleyway, pulling the bandana from my face and lowering my hood. I exited on the opposite end and started back to the apartment.

By the time I got there all of the news channels were breaking the story of how the police had captured the Santa impersonator. However, the reporter paused as new information was given.

"It appears that the police were not working alone, as this image was recently uploaded to social media." A portrait mode phone picture appeared on the corner of the screen. A man in a black hood was kneeling on the sidewalk, one finger on each hand was covered by a gauntlet with a blade. "The post says that the person threw themselves through a window on the same floor as the criminal, whose legs were slashed prior to police intervention. Is there a vigilante operating in Los Angeles?" The tv was switched off, a glaring Chloe holding the remote.

"You were seen?" She asked shakily. I was at a loss for words, my mind running a mile a minute.

"Do you realize what this means?" Max further pushed.

"I fucked up." I replied bluntly.

"Yes, you fucked up." Chloe agreed. I hung my head in shame. "But that doesn't mean a damn thing. So what if you were seen? If you keep helping everybody, they'll protect you from any kind of trouble."

"Woo hoo, I'm a superhero now." I spun my finger in mock excitement.

"We need to train better." Max said.

"Agreed, can't leave every fight up to chance." I seconded.

"There's a martial arts place a few blocks that way." Chloe suggested, pointing.

"We're not gonna be able to pay for training. We need to find a place where we can do it ourselves." I racked my brain for possibilities of a hide-out.

"Well, you did just clear an abandoned building." Chloe gave a smile when she said that.

"So... we're really gonna be vigilantes?" Max asked.

"Damn right. I think it's high time we jingle some asshole's bells."

"Deck his halls." Chloe added.

"You two are idiots." Max laughed.

 **So this was gonna be just a Christmas fic, but then I thought about it. I set up more for the real sequel, and made the story. Two reindeer with one snowball. Like... comment... both?**


End file.
